Romelia Held Captive

I sat in a chair and let out a small sigh.

Captured by Mary-san, I had been forced into a passenger cabin aboard Silverwing along with Paula-san.

The cabin contained two beds and two chairs. A lamp hung from the ceiling directly above the small table, swaying back and forth. When I lowered my gaze, I saw a door leading outside. As expected, it was locked from the outside, so there was no way to leave the room.

The ship had set off, and I had no idea where we were or where we were headed. If there had at least been a window, I could have figured out which direction we were heading, but the cabin had none, so I couldn't see outside.

Paula-san sat in the other chair across from the table. Her small body trembled, and her face beneath her blond hair was pale.

"Are you all right, Paula-san?"

I reached out with my right hand and touched Paula-san's left shoulder.

"B-but what if my brother and Gatt are killed?"

Paula covered her face with both hands, her shoulders trembling.

"It's all right. Mary-san promised that the hostages' lives would be guaranteed, remember?"

I spoke with a smile. But it was a lie. Promises made in the middle of a battlefield were not something one could rely on. If the situation changed, that promise could be broken at any time.

We had been taken captive and made into hostages. To survive this predicament, we would have to handle things skillfully. To do that, it was crucial to understand the situation as accurately as possible.

I tried to say more to reassure Paula-san, but I closed my mouth and looked up at the ceiling. The lamp hanging from it had begun swinging more slowly than before.

"Romelia-sama? Is something wrong?"

"It stopped."

"Huh?"

"The ship has stopped."

The ship's rocking had ceased. After a while, I heard the sound of chains scraping near the bow. It was the sound of the anchor being lowered.

"D-do you think we've arrived somewhere?"

"Who knows?"

While holding Paula-san's hand, I pictured a map in my mind.

The waters of the archipelago region where Mary-san attacked us were dotted with islands of every size. However, since the waves were calm, we must already have passed out of those waters. The nearest port to where we had been was Merka Island, but I couldn't imagine her returning there while holding Captain Maurice and the others hostage. I guessed we were somewhere on the open sea, but without windows, I had no way to know for sure.

After a while, I heard the door being unlocked from the other side. Then the door, which had been firmly shut, opened. Two people stood beyond it. One was a girl named Ann who had burn scars on her face. A masked sailor stood behind Ann, a red cloth wrapped around the sailor's right arm.

Paula stood up to greet them, but I remained seated.

"Come out. The captain wants to see you."

Only Ann came in and spoke curtly. It seemed Mary-san wanted to speak with me. That was exactly what I wanted as well.

I stood up from my chair and nodded. Paula-san naturally tried to follow me, but Ann stopped her with a hand.

"She only called for one person."

Even after Ann stopped her, Paula-san still tried to follow. But making a scene would be unwise.

"It's all right, Paula-san. Stay here. I can handle a conversation on my own."

I gave Paula-san a confident smile to reassure her.

When I left the room with Ann, the masked sailor waiting outside locked the door securely once more.

"This way."

Ann jerked her chin to the left and led the way. I followed, with a masked sailor whose right arm was wrapped in red cloth following behind me.

I followed Ann, whose hair was an unkempt mess, through the interior of Silverwing. There were masked crew members throughout the ship. Some of the children had removed their masks, but the moment they saw me, they hid their faces and put their masks back on.

Perhaps they did so to keep people from remembering their faces, or perhaps so no one would underestimate them for being children. Either way, it drove home the fact that the crew consisted almost entirely of children. This ship could also be said to serve as a refuge for children with nowhere to go. The children's skin looked healthy, so they must have had food. However, their clothes were dirty, and many of them wore torn garments. They probably had not bathed or washed their clothes. Even Ann's blond hair swaying before me was as unkempt as a bundle of straw.

"Ann-san, right?"

I called out to Ann as she walked ahead. She did not turn around or answer, but I continued anyway.

"Your late mother's name was Arendt, and your younger sister's was Annabelle."

When I mentioned this, Ann stopped and turned around. Her eyes were filled with hatred.

"How do you know that?!"

"Why? Of course I investigated the forces opposing me. That's only natural, isn't it?"

I smiled. It had been an easy investigation, since Barbo-san had kept track of all the orphans.

"According to what I found, fifty-seven children are aboard this ship. I know the general makeup of their families as well."

I recalled some of the documents I'd left aboard Lazybones. Of the children listed in them, Ann was the only one whose face I could match with a name.

"Hmph, so what? Knowing only our names is meaningless. How could a noble like you possibly understand us?!"

"I understand."

"You're lying!"

"It's true. I traveled for several years to defeat Demon King Zelgis. The journey was not always smooth, and there were times when we found ourselves unable to go on. During those times, it was the villagers in the places we visited who helped us. Despite their own difficult circumstances, they shared their food with us and gave us places to sleep."

I closed my eyes and recalled events from my journey.

Without the villagers' help, our journey would have ended partway through.

"I also spent time talking with the people of Merka Island. I believe I understand, at least a little, how difficult your lives are. Oh, and I met an old woman named Hanna who lived next door to your house. She was worried about you."

Hearing my words, Ann's eyes widened slightly and her gaze faltered. But that lasted only an instant. The next moment, her eyes hardened again.

"Those bastards! My mother and Annabelle died because of them!"

Hatred burned in Ann's eyes.

"I know that your mother and sister died while you were away working as a servant. However, while you were gone, weren't your neighbors the ones who looked after your family?"

At that, Ann gritted her teeth.

"...! Shut up! You shut up already!"

Ann turned her face away and strode on. I followed her without saying anything more.